Super Bowl Favorites

Happy Super Bowl Sunday everyone!

In honor of the big game, I'm making this a double recipe post so I can tell you about our two favorite super bowl snack foods.

WARNING: These are diet-busters, big time.  Just want to throw that out there.  However, I feel like--in moderation--it's okay to eat your favorite junk food goodies once a year.  Right?  Just be sure to do your work out the next morning (Jillian Michaels, here I come!).

Potato Skins

INGREDIENTS:

8 Russet potatoes
Vegetable oil
Salt
Pepper
Garlic powder
Parmesan cheese, grated
Cheddar cheese, shredded
Bacon bits
Sour cream (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Scrub the potatoes and pierce them with a fork several times.  Bake for one hour.  You can either put them on a cookie sheet or directly on the oven rack.  Do NOT wrap them in aluminum foil. 

2.  When the potatoes are fully baked, take them out of the oven but leave the oven on.  Turn up the heat to 475 degrees.  Cut them in half and scoop out their insides, leaving the skins plus about 1/4 inch of potato.  Spray a cookie sheet with a bit of cooking spray oil and place the potato halves on the sheet, skin side up.  Brush lightly with vegetable oil and bake for 8-10 minutes.

3.  Flip the potatoes over and spread the other side lightly with vegetable oil.  Sprinkle lightly with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and grated parmesan cheese.  Bake for another 8-10 minutes. 

4.  Add a generous amount of cheddar cheese and top with bacon bits.  Bake for 2-3 minutes until the cheese is completely melted.

5.  Serve with a little sour cream if desired.  Enjoy!


Spinach and Artichoke Dip

INGREDIENTS:

One 10oz jar of light Alfredo pasta sauce
One half 8oz package of light sour cream or Neufchatel cheese, softened
One 10 or 12oz package of frozen spinach, cooked per package directions
One 14oz can of artichoke hearts, chopped
Six cloves of garlic
One cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup of grated parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  Roast garlic cloves.  I usually do this by placing the garlic in a little aluminum foil pouch, sprayed with just a little olive oil so it doesn't burn.  If your big oven is already pre-heated, just stick it in there.  Otherwise, you can use a toaster oven.  Cook for about 20-30 minutes.

3.  Place roasted garlic and all the other ingredients EXCEPT the mozzarella cheese in a mixing bowl and blend either by hand or with electric beaters.  Once everything else is well blended, add the mozzarella cheese but stir in by hand (otherwise, it sticks to the beaters and won't come off!).

4.  Once the mixture is well blended, put it in a casserole dish or baking dish and cook for 30 minutes until the cheese is all warm and bubbly.  Serve with some tortilla chips.

Gooooooooooooo TEAM!!!!